Crofton, MD

Buying a home is complex and costly. You want to make sure you end up with as many features you want, and can afford. The home you eventually get may not have everything you wanted, but for the price, you're getting the features most important to you. Even in the highest price ranges, it's rare that a buyer gets everything on their wish list.

Crofton MD has a large real estate inventory to start your search for the home of your dreams. At some point, you'll find that perfect home for you, and we'll write an offer.

In Maryland, all real estate purchases have to be in writing. No handshakes allowed. That offer we write together is going to take a while. The standard real estate contract is 11 pages but when we add all the required addenda, it can easily blow up to close to 40 pages. Get out your blue pen because you'll be initialing and/or signing just about every one of them.

Bring your checkbook too. When we write an offer on a home. you have to include an earnest money deposit. It's customary, but not mandatory, to provide an earnest money deposit of approximately 1% of the purchase price of the house. This money will be used at settlement if your offer is accepted.

It used to be pretty standard to close in 30 - 60 after the offer was accepted. New lending and appraisal practices have bumped this up to 45 - 60 days.

If you're searching for a home in Crofton, MD or any other city in Maryland, click anywhere to view all Active listings.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist
Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist
Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist

©2009 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved

Want to know what your neighbors paid for their Crofton home?

You don't have to dig through their trash bags at the curb and you don't have to watch for the information to be published in a local newspaper. And no, I'm not going to suggest you just ask. It's online at the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation website.

Just click on the image or the link above it, and scroll within the little box (red arrow) to find Anne Arundel County; then you'll probably want to search by Street Name or Property Sales (highlighted in green). You'll be prompted to further define your search, so just follow the directions on your screen.

If you search by Street Name, this is the information you will learn about any property:

• Date of purchase
• Amt. of purchase
• Date built
• Amt. of assessment
  
• Size of lot (sq. ft.)
  
• Size of house (sq. ft.)
• Name of current owner
• Name of previous owner
  
• Date of previous purchase
• Amt. of previous purchase

If you search by Property Sales:

You can search for sales during a specified time-frame and/or search all sales on a specific street... or you can search for a specific address. You can include commercial, vacant, or improved properties, as well as residential ones. When I search for Property Sales on my own street, for example, I find that two homes have sold since January 1 of this year, and one has been re-financed.

How could you use this information?

1. You could determine if your neighbor's property is assessed about the same as yours... if several of your neighbors' assessments are less, you may want to use the information to appeal your own property assessment and tax bill.
   
   
2. If you don't know the names of your neighbors, this is a good way to find out - assuming the owners are also the occupants of the properties.
   
   
3. If you're thinking of buying or selling a home, you can get a first-hand look at nearby recent sales including those not listed with real estate agents.
   

Real estate agents, title companies and lenders refer to the public land records frequently in the course of doing business, but many non-real estate folks seem to feel almost guilty and browsing through this information. No worry. It's public record. You're not spying.

Of course, if the idea of spying seems to have more intrigue for you, there's always the trash bag option. Kidding, of course!

13 new listings and three new rentals came on the real estate market in Crofton MD last week.

5 of the new listings were below $300,000, which is in the price range that's attractive to first time home buyers. 6 were in the $300,000 - $400,000 range and the remaining 2 listings were over $550,000.

5 Crofton MD homes went to settlement last week.

As an indication of things to come in the near term future, the Crofton MD real estate market currently has 53 homes in various stages of contract. The majority of these homes will go to settlement shortly.

The current housing inventory in Crofton MD stands at 134 units. These range in price from $150,000 to $829,000. Plenty of opportunities in all price ranges to purchase a home in Crofton MD.

This is once again time to remind first time home buyers that the $8,000 tax credit is set to expire on November 30, 2009. In order to take advantage of this tax credit, if you qualify, you have to settle on a home before December 1, 2009. Don't delay. First Time Home Buyers should be out there looking now and making an offer as soon as possible.

If you're already working with an agent, give them a call to look at some terrific valued in Crofton MD real estate. If you're not working with an agent, I can help. Call me at your convenience at 443.995.9595.

If you're searching for a home in Crofton, MD or any other city in Maryland, click anywhere to view all Active listings.

Information from the Multiple Regional Information System, MRIS, and is subject to change.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist
Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist
Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist

©2009 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved

You've already made your decision to buy. You've already talked or met with a lender to determine your affordability level. Now, it's time to go out and look at some Crofton MD houses.

Most people start their search for Crofton MD homes on the internet. Everything we're going to go out and look at is available on the internet or in the Multiple Listing Service.

The National Association of Realtors statistics show that 86% of home buyers begin their search on the internet. While this is great, it can never replace opening the front door and previewing homes.

This can get confusing so you better be keeping good notes on the homes we visit in Crofton MD. We can select the homes you want to preview and make appointments for a time convenient to you.

Each house we preview will have positive and negative features. It's pretty rare to find that one house that has everything you want or need in a home.

As we continue the search for Crofton MD homes, we'll be refining the criteria so we can pinpoint the home of your dreams.

Buying A Home In Crofton MD - Step 1, Making The Decision
Buying A Home In Crofton MD - Step 2, Getting Professional Assistance

Searching for Homes in Crofton MD or any other Maryland location, click here.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist
Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist
Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist

©2009 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved

HABITAT Condos in Crofton Meadows, Crofton Maryland - Affordable Homes Near Fort Meade

There are some homeowners in Habitat who are younger than their homes - but that doesn't seem to bother them. That's because Habitat is ideal for first-time buyers as well as empty nesters, retirees and anyone looking for a rock-bottom price and a Crofton address. That's been the market for Habitat since Day One, when they were first built.

Habitat is located off Reidel Road in Crofton, easily accessible from Fort Meade and BWI on the north and from the Crofton Triangle on the south. Commuting to D.C., Annapolis, or Baltimore is 30-60 minutes, depending on traffic and your precise destination.

Don't let the low price of these Crofton condos fool you... this is a nice community with homes ranging from about 800 - 1200 sq. feet. Many of them overlook the Crofton Meadows pond (right).

Each Habitat building contains four condo units, each a distincty different floor plan, and four garages. There are three 2-bedroom units and one 3-bedroom unit in each building, and each has a private patio area - or, in the case of the 3-bedroom unit located over the garages, a balcony.

There are four Habitat units on the market now (8/22/09): Three 2-bedroom homes at $150,000, $185,000 and $199,500, plus one 3-bedroom home at $224,900. Chances are good that the monthly payment on these is less than you would pay for rent anywhere in the area. Check out the listings of Homes for Sale in HABITAT today (updates automatically to the date you click on this link.)

NEIGHBORHOODS IN CROFTON MARYLAND:

• Homes for sale in CHARING CROSS
• Homes for sale in CROFTON COMMONS
• Search All Homes, Townhomes and Condos for Sale in Crofton, MD
• Create Your Own Custom Home Search
• Schools in Crofton
• Focus on Crofton (Blog)

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MUST-READ INFO FOR ANYONE CONSIDERING A MOVE TO CROFTON MD:

Crofton, Maryland - A Wonderful Place to Live!

Crofton residents enjoy the cherry tree-lined streets in Spring, a crafts fair and Boy Scout-sponsored chicken barbeque at the Village Green in Fall, the annual Christmas tree lighting in front of Crofton Country Club, plus lots of organizations and year-round activities...

Top 3 Reasons to Buy Your Next Home in Crofton, MD

You know what they say about the most important things in real estate - Location, Location, and Location. When the traffic gods are smiling, Crofton is only about 30 minutes to NSA, Annapolis, Baltimore's I-695, D.C.'s I-495 and BWI Airport.

Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Crofton MD Townhome

You probably already know that Crofton, Maryland, was named one of Money Magazine's Top 100 Best Places to live last year, based on its location, amenities, affordability and other criteria. But why buy a Crofton townhouse, rather than a detached house?

Crofton Real Estate - Tee it up!

My dad always said that a golf course is the best place to raise children, and I have to echo his sentiment. A child who runs home from school to get his golf clubs and practice is not hanging out in an alley experimenting with drugs. An adolescent or teen who plays 18 or 36 holes...

Crofton, Gambrills, and Odenton - One Community or Three?-

"The Greater Crofton Area" is generally considered to include Crofton, Gambrills, and Odenton - three distinctly different communities located in the D.C.-Baltimore-Annapolis Triangle. (And, I might add, there are distinctly different neighborhoods within each community.)